Air cleaner



Aug. 9, 1932. w. A. MI'LLER 7 8 AIR CLEANER Filed April 15, 1929 MiterA/Yillcr iv -i t o ticles from the air,

Patented at e; 1932 Umrao STATES rATENr orricja I 1 1 .wam'na A.

- or cmcaeo, rumors, a

CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS am cmaxna Application fled April 15, 1929. No.855,007;

7 This invention relates to improvements in air cleaners for removingdust, dirt particles, foreign substances and the like from air, theinvention beinghi hly desirable for use in 5. conjunction with t e airintake of a carbu retor for an internal combustion engine, although theinvention has many and varied uses as will be apparent to one skilled inthe art. o In the air cleaners have been developed but in mostinstances, especially with regard to the cen- 'trifu al type, haveproven objectionable in that ey were not desirably eflicient norsufficiently'simple in construction. In many cases, these objectionsalso found-embodiment in sharp corners within the cleaner which aided incient out ets for the insuflicient means for "properly directin the airwhere a reversal thereof is desire peculiarities of an undesirablenature.

e present invention has been designed and overcome the above noted aswell as other and various defects and objections in the provision of anair cleaner which presents a smooth interior devoid of sharp corners andobstructions, whereby the production of eddy tic-currents in the airstream is substantially eliminated. a

The invention alsov seeks the provision of an air cleaner inwhich thecentral rtion of a whirling mass of air is rendere substantially dead,this dead air being.

, discharged from the cleaner as pure air, the impurities having beenremoved therefrom by'the prev- "ious whirlin action.

L Another 0 ject of the presentinvention is 40 to provide an air cleanerin which a whirling column'of air is reversed in direction without anyundue pure air discharged from this central portion through the inletend of the device,

past, many and various types of roduction of eddy currents,insuflidischarge of dirt par-' ,and in other structural production ofeddy currents, the central portion of the air being deadened, and

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an aircleaner which,

' when placed in proper position, permits the discharge of dirtparticles foreign substances, and the like from the inlet end of thecleaner.

Still-a further object of the resent invention is'the provision of anair 0 eaner having a plurality of dirt discharge openings so relatedasnot to impede the action of whirling air passing through the device,but in fact aid this air in the proper discharge of foreign substances.

- It is a still further object of this invention to provide a new andnovel method. of cleanin air or other gases.

, ile some of the more salient features, characteristics, and advantagesof a deviceand method embodying thisinvention have been above pointedout, others will become ap arentfrom the followin disclosures.

e invention includes 51658 and other features of construction andcombinations of pa'rtshereinafter described, and shown in a preferredform in the drawing, as more particularly indicated by the claims. 7

0n the drawing:- 7

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view showing the intake manifoldand carburetor for an internal combustion engine, the carburetor beingequipped with a device em ying principles of the present inventionFigure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the deviceitself.

Figure '3 is a front elevational view of the device taken from the rightof Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a reduced transverse sectional view of the device takensubstantially as I indicated'b'y the staggered line IV-.I'V of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawing:

In the structure selected to illustrate an embodiment of the presentinvention, there is shown an intake manifold 10 for an internalcombustion engine, to which manifold any desired form of carburetor 11may be connected. To the air intake 12 of the carburetor 11 an aircleaner embodying features and principles of the present invention isconnected.

In this instance, the air cleaner includes a casing 13 having a smoothinterior, the rear end of the casing being closed by a Wall 14 the frontend of the casing being open and slightl flared outwardly as indicatedat 15.. As in icated at 13a in Figure 1 the casing 13 is roundedinwardly towards the wall 14 so as to provide a smooth surface, devoidof sharp corners andthe like, for aidingin the proper directing of airpassing through thecasing. The casing 13 including the rear wall 14 ispreferably made in one piece, but if so desired the wall may be attachedto a cylinder-like casing in any suitable manner.

A smoother interior is insured for the front end of the casing 13 by theoutward flare 15.

Means are provided for imparting a whirling motion to air entering thecasing 13, the means in this instance comprising an annular collar ofsloping or inclined vanes 16, the

vanes being preferably somewhat helical in' formation. Certain of thevanes 16 are prowith the central part of the interior of the casing. Forproperly mounting the air cleaner upon the intake 12 of the carburetor11, a resilient band or collar 21 is provided having spaced ends throughwhich a bolt 22 extendsby means of which the band may be tightenedaround the intake 12. The band 21 is secured, if so desired, to theoutlet conduit 2O bymeans of lugs 23 which are spot welded to theconduit or secured thereto in any equivalent manner.

Preferably secured to the rear wall 14 of the casing adjacent the centerthereof by means of an angularly bent portion 24 and rivets 25, is acurved blade 26 which is preferably in the shape of a trapezoid taperingtowards the front end of the casing, so as not to be in the path ofincoming air. As is seen clearly in Figure 2, the blade 26 terminatesshort of the inner end of the outlet conduit 20 so as to leave an airspace therebetween free from any elements which might effect or causemotion of the air in this space.

Obviously whirling. air -will throw dust particles and-foreignsubstances therein out each other and to the port 27, and, as-mdi catedat 29 in Figure 4, these ports are formed in the same manner as the Allthe ports are preferably'located adjacent the. junction between the rearwall 14 and the casing'13, and it will be noted that the ports 28 are inopposition to the port 27 In other words, the indented portions 29.adjacent the ports 28 slope with the direction of whirl imparted tolncoming air by the vanes 16, while the slope of the indented portionadjacent the fort 27 is opposite to the direction of whirl. t isapparent, therefore,

that air will be sucked into the ports 28 to encourage the production ofa strong whirl adjacent the rear part of the casing to cause a betterdischarge of foreign substances and eliminate the development of reverseor eddy currents, the indentation adjacent the port port 27.

27 acting as a scoop for separating foreign substances from the whirlingair, especially those substances which may tend to continue whirlingwith the air. In view of the fact that the heavier dirt particles orforeign substances will tend to descend to the lower portion of thecasing the discharge port 27 is preferably situated in the lower side ofthe casin when the cleaner is mounted in horizonta position.

In operation, the present invention is extremel simple though none theless positive and e ective in its action. Due to the workings of aninternal combustion engine suction will'be created in the intake 12 ofthe carburetor 11, and as a result of this suction air will be drawninto the casing through the annular intake around the outlet conduit 20.This incoming air w'll be given a decided whirling action by he slopingvanes 16so that the air will pass through the casin still whirling andthrowing the foreign su stances therein outwardly against the innercasing wall, the substances being discharged through the port 27.Ofcourse,-a certain small uantity of the air ma also pass out througthis port, but an ample ficiency will remain for the operation of thecarburetor 11. Due to the curvature at the rear end of the casingindicated at 13a in Figure 1, the whirling air'willbe downwardlydeflected and consequently turned inwardly or reversed in direction. Theinner portion of the air, which due to the whirling action will-be cleanand pure air, will then too 1n opposition to the whirhn substantiallydead in the center of thecasdownwardly and the rear WhiCh :0 tion to theair to 36 of the whirling air,

' be noted that mg from whence it may be readily sucked through theconduit guiding the clean. air directly towards the conduit 20.

The air cleaner-described hereinabove may be disposed in a vertical aswell as a horizontal position and still operate effectively. Of course,when the cleaner is disposed in a vertical position the conduit 20 willproject wall 14 will form the top of the casing. In this position thedevice functions in the same manner as previously described, with theexception that the heavier particles of dirt or foreign substances willbe drawn downwardly by the action of gravity, especially where there isa lessening of the suction, space 19 between the termini of the vanes 16and the casin 13.

The metho of cleaning air exemplified in the device hereinabovedescribed and apparent from the foregoing disclosures, may be summed upas including the passing of air through a casing, imparting a whirlingac- "throw foreign substances outwardly, dischar ing the action of the wirlof the casing, reversing and .quieting the inner portion anddischarging or withdrawing pure air from this central portion throughthe front of the casing. In the event the cleaner is disposed in avertical position, the method also includes not only the intake ofimpure air and the outlet of ure air at the front end of the casing, buta so the discharge of the heavier foreign substances at this end of thecasing, the lighter substances being discharged at the rear of thecasing through the port 27 Although an embodiment of the presentinvention has been disclosed and described for the purpose of cleaningair prior to its entry contained therein these substances by ing air atthe rear the direction into an internal combustion en 'ne through acarbureter connected thereto, it is apparent that the invention mightalso be used for the purpose of cleaning air or other gases inpractically any desired location and for practically any purpose. Itmight also in some circumstances the device might not only be used forcleaning gaseous fluid, but also for the purpose of V purifying liquids.It is therefore to be understood that where the term air is used hereinand in the appended claims, the same is to be construed as meaning afluid, and where the terms foreign substances are used, the same are tobe construed as meaning any impurities dislodgeable by centrifugalaction contained in a fluid.

20 into the carbureter. 11, the forward tapering of the blade 26' passout through thethe-foregoing,

an object in connection with which the device is to be used, and due toits peculiar structure the device is open and ready for inspection atany'and all times. It is fur.- ther to be noted that the device isextremely compact and will occupy only'a smallspace, isver durable, andmay-be economically manu actured. I

I am 'aware'that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromtion, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon,necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the character a casing havinga walled and an open end, said casing being interiorly smooth adjacentthe open end thereof and having a discharge opening adjacent the walledend of, means in said casing. for. imparting a whirling action toincoming air, said means the principles of this inven- I otherwise thandescribed,-

therebeing spaced from the wall of said casing to permit foreignsubstances separated from the air to leave said casing adjacent" the'wall thereof, and said casing having an outlet for clean air.

2. In a device of a casing having a walled rear end, means for impartinga whirling action to air enterof foreign substances car-f der of saidopenings admitting air to said casing to cause a strong whirl near therear thereof. and said casing having an. outlet for cleaned air.

3. In a device of the character described,

a casing-including a walled rear end, means for. imparting a whirlingaction to air entering said casing, said casing having tangential portsadjacent said walled end. certain of said ports thru which foreignsubstances carried by incoming air are discharged sloping inwardlyoppositeto thedirection of whirl of the air. and the remainder of saidports sloping augment the action of the air near the rear of the casing,and said casing having anoutlet for clean air. I

4. In a device of the character described, a casing having an air inletadjacent each end thereof, means for imparting a whirling action to theair entering through one of said inlets, whereby said whirling actionwill suck with the direction ofwhirl to the character described,fl

I foreign substances carried yincoming air llh iois.

. at the end opposite said means, and an outlet conduit for cleaned aircommunicating 1 with the interior of said casing. In testim'onywh f Ihave hereunto subi v scribed y neme at Chicego, Cook County,

-. W AL'1ER A. MILLER-

